Gambia China relations

On
March 17, China and the Islamic Republic of Gambia signed a communique to
resume diplomatic ties, effective immediately. China and Gambia, a small
north-west African nation, had established diplomatic relations in 1974 but
China reneged in 1995 when the latter reestablished diplomatic ties with
Taiwan. Gambia cut political ties with Taiwan in 2013 for “reasons of national
interest.”

What
do re-established ties mean for future China-Gambia diplomatic relations?

The
reason for rekindling the Beijing-Banjul relationship is strictly economics.
The country has been in economic turmoil since the early 2000s, with many
struggling to survive due to low agricultural returns. The once strong and
friendly relationship turned in 2011 when President Jammeh called on Libyan
dictator Muammar Qaddafi to relinquish power.

China’s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the two countries will expand “personnel
exchanges at all levels” including in the agricultural, industrial, and
infrastructure sectors. With emphasis on people-to-people exchanges, Gambia has
slowly become a low-level tourism hub, routinely accounting for an estimated 20
percent of GDP. However, this industry was impacted by its proximity to African
countries exposed to the Ebola virus.

Per
the communique, the two countries agreed to partner in the agricultural sector
and promote more people-to-people exchanges. Beijing, for one, is an expert in
both these areas. Chinese agricultural experts have become heavily involved in
the agriculture sector of other African nations and this trend will likely
continue, given much of Gambia’s agricultural land is not worked.

On
the diplomatic side, Gambia recognized that “Beijing is the sole legal
government representing the whole of China and that Taiwan is an inalienable
part of China’s territory,” the communique stated. Gambia “is not to establish
any official relations or engage in any official contacts with Taiwan,” the
document added. In short, Banjul has likely calculated a greater economic
benefit from a relationship with Beijing than Taipei.

According
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of China (Taiwan) Web site, three
African countries - Burkina Faso, Swaziland, and the Democratic Republic of Sao
Tome and Principe - have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. But this
number might dwindle as China established a trade delegation with Sao Tome and
Principe, another north-west African country, in 2013. It is unclear whether
this economic relationship would affect its standing diplomatic relations with
Taiwan.

When
pressed at a recent press conference about whether China will restore
diplomatic relations with other countries which formally recognize Taiwan,
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson responded, “We follow the
one-China principle in dealing with issues related to Taiwan’s external
relations, and oppose activities aimed to create “two Chinas” or “one China,
one Taiwan.”